> [Original Message] > From: What's New <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 12/30/2005 8:25:45 PM Subject: [BOBPARKS-WHATSNEW] What's New Friday December 30, 2005
WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 30 Dec 05 Washington, DC 1. LIES: COLLEGE SENIOR MADE-UP STORY OF VISIT BY FEDERAL AGENTS. Last week, WN repeated a news story of inter-library loans being monitored by Homeland Security. The student now admits it never happened. His lie had the effect of trivializing the problem of our government spying on Americans. Lies are much in the news. 2. CLONED LIES: SCIENCE WILL RETRACT CELEBRATED KOREAN PAPER. Two weeks ago, a paper in the journal Science was reported to contain fabrications (WN 16 Dec 05). An investigating panel at Seoul National University, where the research was conducted, now concludes that Woo Suk Hwang, who became an international celebrity and a national hero in South Korea, fabricated the entire paper. However, according to a story in Science last week, Hwang still claims his conclusions are valid. That's sadly reminiscent of the Jan Hendrik Schoen scandal at Bell Labs three years ago http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN02/wn092702.html . 3. PIOUS LIES: NOT EVERY FRAUDULENT RESEARCH PAPER IS RETRACTED. We could not help but compare the proper handling of the cloning scandal by Science and Seoul National University with scandalous handling of a fraudulent paper by Columbia U. and the J. Reprod. Medicine http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN04/wn070204.html . Because the Columbia prayer study has never been retracted, this absurd publication, with its claim of supernatural intervention, is still listed as a valid scientific study on PubMed. 4. DESIGNED LIES: THE DOVER SCHOOL BOARD DID IT "TIME AND AGAIN." "It is ironic that these individuals, who so proudly touted their religious convictions in public would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy." From the Jones opinion in Kitzmiller v. Dover school Board. 5. BREAKTHROUGH FOR 2005: SCIENCE PICKS "EVOLUTION IN ACTION." The journal Science, made an inspired selection this year. But what really motivated all the work that has gone into showing how evolution works? Is there one great motivator out there? 6. THE DISCOVERY INSTITUTE: OUR CHOICE AS "SPINMEISTER OF 2005." In the 150 years since Darwin published his brilliant insight, there has never been another year like this. Books on evolution are tumbling out of the presses; networks are making TV specials; natural history museums are racing to create Darwin exhibits. All because one organization was able to come up with catchy phrases like "only a theory" and "a design must have a designer." The Discovery Institute deserves an award, they made it happen. 7. PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE: SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES VOW TO FIGHT IT. A new vaccine was 100% effective on 6,000 women in tests and could eliminate the sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer. Conservative Christian groups oppose its use because it would eliminate the incentive for abstinence. THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the University of Maryland, but they should be. --- Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org What's New is moving to a different listserver and our subscription process has changed. To change your subscription status please visit this link: http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=bobparks-whatsnew&A=1
